VarietyPlus®

Description & Analysis

Only 950 silver proof sets were coined for 1872, but the minor coins were also available for purchase as a short-set of their own, and these were very popular. Several hundred proof 1872 nickels were likely sold in addition to the number provided here.

The majority of proofs are from a doubled obverse die that was used for currency strikes as well. An extremely rare error for this date is seen on a few proofs that have the dies in medal alignment, that is, the opposite of what is normal for USA coins.

The quality issues which affect so many proofs of the early 1870s are present in this date. Crude or incomplete polishing may be seen, and some pieces were not struck fully enough to eradicate the tiny marks and voids present on planchets prior to coining. This is not uncommon on currency pieces, but it is unexcusable for proofs.

GRADE SUMMARY

Working...

Use the scroll bar at the bottom of this box to view a summary of the NGC Price Guide, NGC Census, Auction Prices Realized and NGC Registry Scores for each grade.

The World Coin Price Guide is independently compiled by Krause Publications’ NumisMaster. NGC makes this information available to its website visitors as a free service, but in no way does the information provided represent NGC’s official opinion or policy. For example, varieties listed in the World Coin Price Guide may not necessarily be recognized by NGC. Please contact NGC Customer Service with any questions.